Reptile & Amphibian Forums

gotten a necropsy done on an animal that died after eating one of these "toxic" rats, or taken in any of the stool to be analyzed? I asked below, but either nobody saw it, or nobody has done these things. With everyone always talking about strict quarantine procedures, you'd think if an animal suddenly defecates and dies, a necropsy would be automatic. What if it's not just from a bad rat? Many ailments share similar signs/symptoms so you would think people would want to know why an animal died. I think it would be easier to test an infected animal than it would be to test random rats. If the snake defecates this nasty stool and/or dies, you know something was wrong. To just grab a handful of rats that may or may not have anything wrong with them could just be a complete waste of time and money. So, again, has ANYONE had ANY tests done before tossing the dead animal and chalking it up to a bad rat?

I'm dealing with it. Haven't had any snakes die or shed their color. If I did have a dead snake to necropsy, where would I go have that done, without throwing good money after bad?
I know of several "reptile vets" here where I live. But, would be reluctant to delegate such a daunting task to them and expect any in depth assay or comprehensive analysis. I've got rats and I've got stool (in the refrigerator), and I've asked -- where do I send them for real bonafide test results.
jsc

Any reptile vet should be able to at least perform a gross necropsy (ie dissection). More money gets involved if you want to have organs/blood/tissue sent out for lab tests, but the vet will handle this for you.

I've had two gross necropsies done. Both gave clear indications of the cause of death.

My vet told me this - some tests are useless after a few hours after the animal dies. If the animal isn't tested right away (before refrigeration), bacteria can begin building in the animal as the very beginnings of decay start, possibly confusing results.

Refrigeration can kill off bacteria which may have been a cause of infection. Freezing is undesirable because it destroys cells.

Just a few things to keep in mind. Necropsies are common - and if your vet is at all familiar with reptiles, they should be able to perform them, no problem. Just choose which tests you would like performed, if any, with caution, because it may be a waste of money depending on how long ago your animal died.
-----
Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.1 Ball Python, 1.0 Hog Island Boa, 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 1.1 Saharan Sand Boa

If I were you I would contact these people

http://tvmdlweb.tamu.edu/
There often used by other University's and Zoo's nationwide.

>>I'm dealing with it. Haven't had any snakes die or shed their color. If I did have a dead snake to necropsy, where would I go have that done, without throwing good money after bad?
>>I know of several "reptile vets" here where I live. But, would be reluctant to delegate such a daunting task to them and expect any in depth assay or comprehensive analysis. I've got rats and I've got stool (in the refrigerator), and I've asked -- where do I send them for real bonafide test results.
>>jsc
-----
TnK

Hey Paul...
There is no Toxic Rat! It is just an excuse for either poor husbandry or food items that have too high a fat content....

At least that is my position so far

Mike from Basically Boas explained it pretty well on his site, Im sure there is more to learn but his observations match mine for the most part....

My experience involved those XXXXL guinea pigs though, so.....
If there is a toxic Rat problem, then we might want to get a handle on the Toxic Guinea Pig problem as well....

Bob McPhee
-----
Robert McPhee